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It's 20 years since I first went to a SCCA stage rally anddrove on nice safe closed roads and then went home and together with the guy who started one minute ahead added each stages times and pored over the results and did average MPHs and tried to asses just what the gap to the leaders was, and what needed to be done to match them.
I didn't think too hard what we were trying to do or show, we were just trying to go as fast as possible and not crash the car (too much!!).
But nobody was spending stupid money on brand new cars, and having expensive shops build the whole car and 'service' them at events.
But times change and now it seems that many believe that they must have the latest stuff in order to even pull up to their first ever stage, and it seems that many seem to think that if they have spent a sheeeet load of money that whatever they are doing in terms of driving must be brilliant.
Especially if the car is new and shiney.
But what I want to know is this:
What is a rally competition attempting to be a showcase of?
Isn't it an event open to all, a "Rally" which attempts top find who drives best on supposedly challenging roads in challenging and variable conditions?
I always joke that if it is supposed to be a competition of what the coolest car is then my old car, my 1969 Saab 96 V4, 1986 Olympus World Rally Championship start No 42 is the coolest car in the World, or maybe the Galaxy, so since that is settled, what do YOU think we are doing.
The club/so called Pro question might come into this discussion but re that question I might ask in advance, Professional appearance might be nice but not if the so called Pros are significantly slower than club cars as has always been the case, or the enpmtiness of Champions who could never finish in the top of the last half in a Club event.
It seems as though we discuss cures for this and that at sometimes heated and high levels without ever addressing, discussing and agreeing what the whole point of what we are doing is.
Much like all new rules (or all rules)should state what the purpose of the rule is, so that one can see if the rule is accomplishing its stated goals, it seems there should be some statement of what a rally is supposed to be.
So re Rally as Competition What does it all mean, Jim???
John Vanlandingham
Seattle, WA. 98168
Vive le Prole-le-ralliat
I didn't think too hard what we were trying to do or show, we were just trying to go as fast as possible and not crash the car (too much!!).
But nobody was spending stupid money on brand new cars, and having expensive shops build the whole car and 'service' them at events.
But times change and now it seems that many believe that they must have the latest stuff in order to even pull up to their first ever stage, and it seems that many seem to think that if they have spent a sheeeet load of money that whatever they are doing in terms of driving must be brilliant.
Especially if the car is new and shiney.
But what I want to know is this:
What is a rally competition attempting to be a showcase of?
Isn't it an event open to all, a "Rally" which attempts top find who drives best on supposedly challenging roads in challenging and variable conditions?
I always joke that if it is supposed to be a competition of what the coolest car is then my old car, my 1969 Saab 96 V4, 1986 Olympus World Rally Championship start No 42 is the coolest car in the World, or maybe the Galaxy, so since that is settled, what do YOU think we are doing.
The club/so called Pro question might come into this discussion but re that question I might ask in advance, Professional appearance might be nice but not if the so called Pros are significantly slower than club cars as has always been the case, or the enpmtiness of Champions who could never finish in the top of the last half in a Club event.
It seems as though we discuss cures for this and that at sometimes heated and high levels without ever addressing, discussing and agreeing what the whole point of what we are doing is.
Much like all new rules (or all rules)should state what the purpose of the rule is, so that one can see if the rule is accomplishing its stated goals, it seems there should be some statement of what a rally is supposed to be.
So re Rally as Competition What does it all mean, Jim???
John Vanlandingham
Seattle, WA. 98168
Vive le Prole-le-ralliat